The Department of Education on Tuesday launched an investigation into the University of Michigan over the school’s global funding and “vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence” following the arrests of several Chinese scientists who were connected with the university and charged with smuggling biological materials into the United States.
The department cited the “highly disturbing criminal charges” slapped against the Chinese scientists in June as it unveiled the federal investigation that accused the university’s foreign funding reports of containing “inaccurate and incomplete disclosures.” The Education Department also expressed concern that the Michigan school had downplayed the risks of research collaborations with Chinese institutions, which are often tied to the Chinese Communist Party.
